Evacuator

ABSTRACT

A TANK TYPE EVACUATOR USEABLE FOR SUCH PURPOSES AS SUCTION REMOVAL OF LIQUIDS FROM SURFACES WITH LIQUID ACCUMULATION IN A RECEPTACLE, OBVIATES THE USUAL LIQUID DUMPING MANIPULATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS BY ALTERNATELY EVACUATING THE RECEPTACLE ATMOSPHERE TO INDUCE WET INFLOW AS FROM A CONDUIT CONNECTIBLE TO AN OPENING LEADING FROM THE RECEPTACLE, AND PRESSURIZING THE RECEPTACLE TO EXPEL LIQUID THROUGH THE SAME OPENING, EVACUATION AND PRESSURIZING OF THE RECEPTACLE REQUIRING BUT A SINGLE BLOWER UNIT OPERATION IN CONJUCTION WITH AIR FLOW CONTROL VALVING ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVACUATOR COVER AND RECEPTACLE SECTIONS.

Sept. 20, 1971 E. J. MACHIN, JR

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Filed sept. 1o, 1969 United States Patent O 3,605,786 EVACUATOR Edwin J. Machin, Jr., Roslindale, Mass., assgnor to Purex Corporation, Ltd., Lakewood, Calif. Filed Sept. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 856,551 Int. C1. A471 5/14, 7/00 U.S. Cl. 137-205 15 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A tank type evacuator useable for such purposes as suction removal of liquids from surfaces with liquid accumulation in a receptacle, obviates the usual liquid dumping manipulations and other requirements by alternately evacuating the receptacle atmosphere to induce wet inflow as from a conduit connectible to an opening leading from the receptacle, and pressurizing the receptacle to expel liquid through the same opening, evacuation and pressurizing of the receptacle requiring but a single blower unit operating in conjunction with air fiow control valving associated with the evacuator cover and receptacle sections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to evacuators useable for the suction removal into a tank or receptacle of liquid accumulations from surfaces such as floors being scrubbed. This type of evacuator contains a motor driven fan or blower operable to create suction for liquid-air intake to rthe tank, and operable also to communicate pressure to the tank for liquid expulsion, selectivity of these pressure conditions being under valve control. The present evacuator differs from its predecessors both in its valving and related structural features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My general object is fto provide an improved evacuator of simple low cost construction employing a novel combination of valves associated with cover and tank sections of the evacuator, as well as novel features in the individual valves, all to the end result of superior perfomance under all operating conditions.

Of particular significance in fthe valve combination is the provision of a tank-carried suction inlet and liquid discharge control valve which is self-responsive to reverse air displacements by the blower under control of the cover-carried valve to admit air-liquid inflow to the tank and to close such inow for liquid displacement from the tank.

The invention also provides an improved cover-mounted annular valve conveniently accessible and simply operable by two position rotation to open and close ports of high air passing capacities to assure most efiicient utilization of the blower created pressure effects.

The invention and the details of an illustrative embodiment will be most readily understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the valve components in one of their operative positions, solid and broken arrows being used to denote the air and liquid iiow paths when rthe cover-carried valve is in its two positions;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l showing the cover valve in one position; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the cover valve shifted to its second position.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The evacuator may be described generally as comprising a cover section 10 and a tank or receptacle section \11, the cover serving to mount the ring valve generally indicated at 12 in FIGS. 2 and 3 and operable to selectively cause evacuation and pressurizing of the tank, and a tank-mounted valve device 14 which is self-responsive to these pressure effects to control liquid discharge and airliquid intake through a tubular communication 15 with hose 16.

Referring particularly first to the cover-mounted structure, the cover carries a centrally vented hood 13 within which is contained gasket 17 about the motor 18 which drives a centrifugal blower 19, the motor being controlled by an on-and-off switch 20 mounted to the underside of the hood. The cover has fiuid tight association with the tank or receptacle shell 2:1 by engagement `of the cover periphery 22 with annular seal 23 confined within the cover flange 24 and normally held under compression by clamps 25 which hook over the upper lip of the flange 24 as shown at the left in FIG. l.

The valve 12 has the form of an inwardly opening hollow annulus -26 rotatable about a ported body section 27 of the cover and held thereto by retainers 28 which may be secured by the same screws l291 which secure the hood 13. As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the cover portion 27 is eavitated to provide inwardly extending passages 29, 30 and 31, passage 29 having a downward communication 32 through the cover with later described passage 33, see FIG. 1, and passage 31 similarly communicating with a further inward opening 34 above passage 35. Passage 30 is in downward communication with passage 48. There may be any suitable number of these passage groupings 29, 30 and 31 as permitted by the circular dimension of the cover. Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3 the valve 26 is ported at 36, 37 and at 371 for registry and communication with passages 29, 30 and 31 as in FIG. 2, and for communication with passages 29, 30 and 31 in the valve position of FIG. 3. The valve is manually shiftable between Ithese positions by use of the valve-carried handle 401.

Mounted to the underside of the cover body 27 is a pair of annular cups y40 and 41 secured by screws 42 and 43, the cups being vertically spaced to define the air passage 33 which is in communication with the blower suction through opening 44 in the bottom of cup 40. The latter serves also to support the motor-blower unit upon pad or annulus 45 about the opening `44. A third cup 46 is spaced below cup 41 and has its peripheral flange 47 received within the seal 2.3. Thus cups 41 and 46 define an air passage 48 communicating with the valve controlled opening 34, passage 31 and valve port 371 and with passage 32 by way of the cover body passage 29 and 30l and the interconnecting valve port 36, see FIG. 2.

Cup 46 mounts a suspended means generally indicated at `50 for preventing rise of the tank liquid above a predetermined level. Any of various means capable of so functioning may be used. As typical, I have shown a float 51 vertically displaceable within an open bottom tubular guide 52 ported at 53 and attached at 54 to the underside of the cup 46. The port extent of the guide 52 is enclosed within a barrier cone 55 having clearance from the bafiie cup 551 to permit air passage as indicated by the arrows. In its upper air closeoff position indicated by the broken lines, the fioat 51 enters and closes opening 56 in the bottom wall of the cup.

The tank-contained valve device 14 is shown to comprise a tubular body 57 communicating with the outletinlet 15 and carrying pipe 58 depending close to the bottorn of the tank. The valve proper is a liapper 59 carrying gasket 591 and hinged at 60 to engage and disengage the inclined face 61 of the body 57 in response to operation of the cover-carried valve 12. Flapper 4valve S9 in open position permits suction communication with the tank interior from the connection 15, and in closed position with its gasket seating downwardly against the inclined -valve face 61, serves to block the suction communication through the valve port 601 and thus to allow pressure upon the accumulated tank liquid to displace the latter to discharge.

In considering the operation of the evacuator, assume first the blower 19' to be in operation with valve 12 in the FIG. 2 position. Communication with atmosphere through the valve port 371 being open, the blower eiect is to induce air and entrained liquid intake as from the hose 16 past the open valve 59, the liquid separating into the bottom of the tank and the air being drawn through the tank atmosphere, thence through the clearance between baiiie S51 and the underside of cup 46 and through opening 56 into the intercup space 48. Continuing, the suction displacement is through valve port 30, passage 29l and opening 32 into the upper inter-cup passage 3-3 and thence to the blower suction through opening 44 in the bottom of cup 40, then through blower 19, passage 35, valve port 34, passage 31 and valve port 371 to atmosphere.

Shifting of valve 12 to the FIG. 3 position reverses the air iiow to pressurize the tank by inducing atmospheric air tlow through port 37 and thence through passages 29 and 32 into the inter-cup passage 33- from which the air path is through the blower inlet opening 44, passages 34, 31, the valve port 36` and passage 30 into the inter-cup passage 48 and thence through 56 to the tank atmosphere. As previously indicated, the ultimate pressure eiect is to allow the apper valve S9' to close and to pressurize the tank liquid at its surface S, thus to displace the liquid upwardly through pipe 58 and the valve body 57 to outlet at 15 and conduit 16.

I claim:

1. An evacuator comprising a liquid receptacle having an associated opening above the bottom of the receptacle for connection with a conduit, a cover having sealed engagement with the receptacle, a blower operable to displace air into and out of the receptacle, iirst valve means including multiple ports circularly arranged about the blower, said valve means being operable in one position to cause the blower to evacuate the receptacle and to induce air and liquid inliow through said opening and operable in another position to transmit positive blower pressure to the receptacle for expulsion of liquid from the receptacle through said opening, and second valve means controlling said inow and expulsion.

2. An evacuator according to claim 1, in which said first val-ve means is carried by the cover concentric with said blower.

3. An evacuator according to claim 1, in which said second valve means is associated with a liquid expulsion tube depending below said opening and a predetermined liquid level in the receptacle.

4. An evacuator according to claim 1, in which said second valve means is self-responsive to said inow and expulsion.

5. An evacuator according to claim 3, in which said second valve means is a flapper valve self-responsive to said inow and expulsion to selectively open and close communication between said opening and the atmosphere in said receptacle.

6. An evacuator according to claim 5, in which said flapper valve is pivoted for upward opening from inclined support on a body having separate communications with said tube and the receptacle atmosphere.

7. An evacuator according to claim 2, in which said first valve means in one position communicates the blower suction to the receptacle to effect said iniiow with said second valve means in open position, and in another position to communicate the blower pressure to the receptacle with said second val-ve means closed to permit said liquid expulsion.

8. An evacuator according to claim 1, including means limiting the liquid level rise in the receptacle.

9. An evacuator according to claim 8l, in which said limiting means is a oat device responsive to changes of the tank liquid level.

10. An evacuator comprising a liquid receptacle having an associated opening above the bottom of the receptacle for connection with a conduit, a cover having sealed engagement Iwith the receptacle, a blower carried by the cover operable to displace air into and out of the receptacle, rst valve means including a multi-ported ring valve rotatably conined by the cover concentrically about the blower and operable in one position to cause the blower to evacuate the receptacle and to induce air and liquid inflow through said opening and operable in another position to transmit positive blower pressure to the receptacle for expulsion of liquid from the receptacle through said opening, and second valve means controlling said inflow and expulsion.

11. An evacuator according to claim 10i, including baffle means carried by the cover to define separate passages for air to and from the blower.

12. An evacuator according to claim 11, in which said baie means comprise spaced cups secured to the underside of the cover.

13. An evacuator according to claim` 12, in which there are three of said cups the uppermost having an opening for the blower suction.

14. An evacuator according to claim 10, in which said second valve means is self-responsive to said inflow and expulsion.

15. An evacuator according to claim 14, in which said second valve means is a ilapper valve associated with a liquid expulsion tube depending within the receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ALAN COHAN, Primary Examiner 

